By Jenny Powell MD Let’s talk about heart attacks! Or myocardial infarctions, if you prefer a term that doesn’t rhyme with ‘Cadillac-ac-ac-ac-ac-ac.’ While everybody may experience heart pain differently, there are some common signs that can help us distinguish between a heart-related incident or esophageal or lung issue. I’ve even had patients who were just on the verge of a …
Book Event Basics
By Barbara M. Britton @BarbaraMBritton Recently, a debut author emailed me asking what I brought to book signings. After I finished my response, I looked at the many paragraphs in my email and considered what her reaction would be. One of dread and panic. There are numerous items that you can bring to an organized book event, but all you …
Reasons to View Writers as Athletes
By Linda Dindzans, M.D Billions of people viewed the Paris Olympics, and I enthusiastically joined them. While watching, it occurred to me that writers could be viewed as comparable to athletes and writing could be considered a sport. While most Olympians will not take home a medal, and most writers will not become worldwide best sellers, both groups have entered …
Creating Authentic Cause and Effect
DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Bestselling stories explode from powerful emotions that push a character into authentic cause and effect. The process is the backbone of fiction. A character is deeply motivated and commits skills, time, energy, and knowledge to pursue something tangible or intangible. The something is valued, meaning sacrifices are expected. The reader will feel cheated if the character is …
Seven Components Required to Create a Compelling Character
by Rachel Hauck @RachelHauck This August I’ve been writing full time for twenty years. I quit my job—cutting our household income by two-thirds—with one little $2,500 contract and a big deposit of dreams. While other contracts followed, my books didn’t fly off the shelf, win awards, or create buzz at my publisher. In many ways, I had a wrong idea …
The Five Be’s of Brainstorming
by Darlene L. Turner Brainstorming plays a significant part in every author’s writing process. Doesn’t matter if it’s non-fiction or fiction, we need to spend time mulling over our thoughts before we put our pen to paper. But what exactly is brainstorming? Seems like an odd question, but let’s look at the definition from dictionary.com. “A technique for generating ideas …
Mastering the Puzzle
By Loretta Eidson Most people enjoy putting puzzles together. We know it can be quick entertainment or a time-consuming, tedious challenge, depending on the number and size of the pieces. Separating straight edges from the others and forming the outline help bring the size of the picture into focus. Some may dump the remaining pieces on the table for a …
How Do Writers Choose a Fiction Genre?
By DiAnn Mills New writers often have the dilemma of choosing what genre of fiction they should write. If this is your problem, I have a few tips to help you make that critical decision. Look at an overview of five of the most popular genres. Romance – These stories are about two people who fall in love. The plot …
Do You Outline, or Do You Write into the Dark?
By Glynn Young @ gyoung9751 A problem developed while I was writing my fifth novel. The problem had to do with what I conceived as a minor character – a four-year-old boy who would grow to adulthood during the story. But he wasn’t the main character; far from it, in fact. He was supposed to have a bit role. Unfortunately, …
Singing the Song of Life
by Christine Sunderland @Chrisunderland One of the great mysteries of life is that we must pass through death to live life eternal. And so Christians follow Christ through the gates of Jerusalem, break bread with him in the upper room, pray with him in the garden, follow him to his death on the cross, and mourn with his mother Mary, …